Because it’s International Women’s Month, it’s also Blog Against Sexism Day. Let’s start out by recognizing and appreciating some of the gains made by feminism so far (and these mostly apply to women in the U.S.). Women can now vote. They can own property. They have access to better health care- the HPV vaccine, for example, and are able to legally receive abortions. As Amanda Marcotte points out, rape rates in the U.S. have dropped by more than 85% since the 1970’s. She also reminded me that the U.N. has adopted the idea that the best way to help out impoverished families is to empower the women in the communities that these families live in.

So, why is feminism still important?

Women still make significantly less than men in the United States. Worldwide, women make up 70% of the poorest people. Very few women make it to the top ranks of the businesses they work for, and they’re still underrepresented in the sciences as well as by political leadership (though this year has been a massive stride foreword, as we now have Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the house and Hillary Clinton running for president). Outdated stereotypes are still confused with science. TV shows like "Wife Swap" and "The Swan" exist. Many, many people are still trying to pass laws that give the government control of women’s bodies. In many parts of the world, women have never acheived even a little bit of bodily autonomy, and make up the majority of people still bought and sold as slaves.

I’m a little short on time, so for more about the ways in which sexism are integrated into the law, check out this NOW column.

These are only a small number of the problems faced by women today. If anything, the most helpful would be to remember that what’s good for women is ultimately good for everyone. We are half of the human system, after all.